Elazny

Elazny is a surname of Polish origin, commonly written as Żelazny in Polish and anglicized as Zelazny in other languages. The name derives from the Polish adjective żelazny, meaning iron-related or made of iron, which itself comes from the noun żelazo, iron. Historically, surnames like Żelazny often indicated an occupation, such as a blacksmith or ironworker, or served as a descriptive nickname.

In usage, Zelazny is the familiar Anglophone rendering of the name, and it is found among Polish emigrant communities as well as in the wider world. The diacritic form Żelazny is still used in Poland and by those preserving Polish orthography, while Zelazny appears in international bibliographic records and on English-language publications.

Notable bearers include Roger Zelazny (1937–1995), an American writer renowned for fantasy and science fiction, most famous for The Chronicles of Amber and a prolific award-winning body of work. His prominence has contributed to the recognition of the anglicized spelling Zelazny in literary circles. Beyond this, Żelazny is a relatively common Polish surname carried by individuals across various professions, from academia to sports, reflecting its broad geographic and cultural distribution.

See also: Zelazny, Żelazny. References to surname etymology can be found in Polish onomastic sources and bibliographic records documenting Polish surnames and their Anglicized forms.